Any wellness journey starts with the mind (you’ll always hear me say, mind over muscle), so I’m excited to take a holistic approach to mindfulness by incorporating meditation into your SLB routine. Meditation is scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, and there’s never been a better time to give it a go and enjoy the moment.

None of us are immune to hardship. If you knew me pre-2020, meditation and me are probably two things you wouldn’t ever put together. Like many of you, I’m typically full speed, passionate, positive, and always moving. Not a bad thing, but being idle both mentally and physically has always been a challenge for me.

One thing I’ve learned over the past year is when things are stripped away and you’re forced to just be with yourself you quickly realize how unfulfilled you are. You can’t cover it up with people, events, a packed suitcase and a plane ticket, and indulgences like happy hour on a random Tuesday, or a sitter and a night out.

Movement, music and sweat have always been my medication (and meditation) but I started taking meditation seriously when I had my first - and thankfully only - anxiety attack last fall. I’ve never been “a worrier” so this was all new to me and somewhat scary.

I spoke to my doctor and decided to give meditation a try. What I’ve learned is that to meditate is to be completely, choicelessly aware of everything about you and within yourself. How you are walking, working in your kitchen, the words you use, the way you eat, the way you move, love, talk to yourself, live your life, and how you interact with other people.

How did I start and what really works for me? In moments of tension I take a literal minute to chill out and start with a tiny reset that goes a long way. It’s called micro-meditation, which are mini moments of mindfulness. These moments can less than one minute, or one to three minutes of deliberate pauses of intention that really help re-center me. There are no hours of Om or sitting in lotus pose and it’s familiar – it feels a lot like our SLB Basic Principles:

 SLB Micro-Meditation

1.     Put down your phone

2.     Pause

3.     Relax your jaw

4.     Slide your shoulders down away from your ears

5.     Close your eyes

6.     Take three mindful breaths

7. See where it goes

With practice, a series of micro-meditations can really become a lifestyle of conscious awareness and mindfulness. Be mindful, pause, and then connect and I promise you’ll feel more equipped to tackle your day and feel more grounded and alive. I’m excited for you to weave this and other sustainable strategies I’m working on into your SLB practice and your life.